PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Flyers were hanging on up a goal late in the third period Sunday night and Sean Couturier, their youngest player, was on the ice again looking like a shutdown forward.

With the Buffalo Sabres on a power play and pressing for the equalizer, Couturier was out there looking like a baseball player taking a practice swing intercepting a deflected pass at chest level with a whack that sent the puck to the other end.

Then, when the Sabres tried carrying the puck back into the Flyers zone, Couturier stood firm, not letting an opponent stickhandle past him, and quickly a teammate flipped the puck down the ice again.

This was vintage Couturier, and there was more to come.

His next shift, Couturier won an important face-off with 2:11 to go, the Flyers cleared and 28 more precious seconds ticked off the clock. And when Buffalo finally was able to re-enter the offensive zone, Couturier chased down a loose puck, used his back to protect it, then made a spinning clear off the boards to eat up more time in what became a badly needed Flyers 3-2 victory.

These were turn-back-the-clock moments for Couturier, who has been living through a frustrating sophomore slump after being a solid two-way player as a teen-age rookie in 2011-12.

A productive two-way player last season, Couturier has two goals and seven points in 25 games this season.

His last goal came Jan. 27 — 20 games ago.

His last assist came Feb. 20 — 10 games ago.

"I haven't been playing the best hockey," Couturier said. "Obviously, it's disappointing. You want to contribute. To be successful, we need everyone and I'm not playing my best, so I have to wake up."

The Flyers, who are 11-13-1 heading into Wednesday night's game in New Jersey, were counting on more offense this season from Couturier, who contributed 14 goals and 27 points in 77 regular season plus a plus a playoff hat trick against Pittsburgh playing last season as an 18- and 19-year-old.

"He's been asked a lot this year to play a different role for us," Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said.

1. Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog was rookie of the year with 22 goals, 52 points, a plus 20 rating and 270 shots. He had an eventful summer when he was named the NHL's youngest captain. His 2012-13 season was disrupted a concussion in his fourth game that cost him nearly a month. His six points in 13 games as of March 11 would be 38 points over a full 82-game season.
Ron Chenoy, USA TODAY Sports

3. New Jersey Devils center Adam Henrique had 51 points last season. His start this season was delayed by a thumb injury suffered during the lockout. He has 10 points in 21 games, a 39-point full-season pace.
Jim O'Connor, USA TODAY Sports

4. Philadelphia Flyers center Matt Read led rookies with 24 goals last season. This season, he started with seven goals in 18 games, a full-season 32-goal pace. He made a much-quicker-than-expected recovery from torn rib cage muscles but has no points in his three games since returning.
Jim O'Connor. USA TODAY Sports

5. Buffalo Sabres center Cody Hodgson totaled 41 points between the Vancouver Canucks and Sabres last season. Playing on a line with Thomas Vanek, he's on a full-season pace for 66 points.
James Guillory,. USA TODAY Sports

8. Nashville Predators center Craig Smith had 14 goals and 36 points last season. This season, he went the first 10 games without a point and is on pace for a 20-point full season. The entire Predators team is struggling to score.
Don McPeak, USA TODAY Sports

9. The Toronto Maple Leafs' Jake Gardiner was the top-scoring rookie defenseman with 30 points. This season, he suffered a concussion in the minors during the lockout. After a couple appearances with the Leafs, he was returned to the American Hockey League on Jan. 25 and hasn't been back.
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After being mostly a fourth-line player as a rookie, Couturier began this season centering the Flyers' second line with a big talent on his right wing, leading scorer Jakub Voracek. He soon played his way to the third line, then Laviolette sent a strong message last Saturday in Boston with a demotion to the fourth line.

The Flyers lost 3-0 and the Bruins' second goal was scored right after Couturier turned the puck over, but the rest of his afternoon went well enough that he was back on the third line against Buffalo.

Has Couturier, who turned 20 on Dec. 7, been feeling pressure to score more?

"Maybe a little bit," the 6-3, 197-pounder said. "You want to contribute offensively. I just gotta stay the same player I was last year — solid two-way player, take care of the little details and my chances will come."

What really bothers Couturier is his plus-minus rating sinking from minus-3 to minus-8 over his last nine games.

That's a big drop from last season when Couturier was a plus-18, second best on the team.

"Sometimes it's not always your fault, but it's something that I take pride in and when I start scoring," Couturier said.

Couturier has had chances. In the Flyers' 6-5 victory in Pittsburgh on Feb. 20, he set a new single-game career-high for shots on goal with six, all of them coming in the first period. But for a player getting three minutes more ice time a game and playing with more skilled forwards, his shots per game are barely up from 2011-12, 1.5 to 1.7.

"I'd had some scoring chances, but just haven't buried them and sometimes I think I could have shot it instead of making that extra pass," he said.

Couturier also isn't happy that he's been losing more face-offs this season. A year ago, he won 47%. This season he's at 42.6% after winning two and losing two against Buffalo.

"I haven't been too good," he said. "I'm trying some different stuff. Obviously, you've got to adapt with each guy you're facing."

Couturier has had a shoulder to lean on off the ice. He's living this season where he did as a rookie — in the Haddonfield, N.J., home of veteran teammate Danny Briere. To get his mind off his struggles on evenings off, Couturier plays a lot of Xbox hockey with Danny's three boys.

Couturier is disappointed, but not dejected. He figures more experience will get him through these tough times and lift his game another step toward what the Flyers think he'll become — a star player.

"Just work hard every day," said Couturier, the eighth overall pick of the 2011 NHL draft. "I'll come. Sooner or later, the bounces will go my way. I just gotta stay patient."